Hot takes, snarky burns, all that trolling: there can be so much negativity in online spaces. Dance online spaces are unfortunately not immune to that trend. Arguably, that impacts the level to which the art form can contribute something bright and enlivening out there.
There is another way – just watch content creators like Tara Bellardini and Laura June Ness. They demonstrate that positivity, along with fresh ideas, can scale online. With their engaging and authentic social media content, they’re doing their part to make the dance world more positive, inventive and connected.
Dance Informa speaks with them both. Let’s look at the why, how, where to from here, and more!
How it started: Dance journeys into content creation
Ness was a competition kid with dreams of performing professionally. She received a BFA, despite voices warning her how unstable and challenging the professional performance path can be. But the degree was also a route to teachers’ college, she notes. She worked on cruise lines and resorts until the pandemic hit…which felt like a sign that maybe teachers’ college truly was the better route for her.
“But my love for performing didn’t go away. I missed it. It took a lot of soul searching (and a bit of therapy), but I mustered the courage to start imagining a different kind of life for myself, and made a choice to go all in in my career,” Ness recounts.
That going “all in” led her to London, which she’d thought about but was “scared to make the leap” into. And now, with all of the challenges and excitement of an international relocation, she’s dancing eight shows a week in the West End’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. “I’m 32 now, and I’m still performing with no end in sight (which is something 20-year-old Laura would never have believed).”
Young Ness might have seen herself in musical theater, however, as it’s always been something she’s drawn to. “I love the whimsical, fun nature of musical theater storytelling. I am someone who loves to romanticize my life, and musical theater encapsulates that perfectly.”
When she started to create content, musical theater was a clear and intentional part of it – a way of owning who she is, and maybe helping artists like her do the same. “Theater kids have a reputation of being weird. I always hope to make the weird theatre kids feel seen and celebrated because that is how I want to feel,” she explains. “It’s fun to live life loudly.”
Myth-busting is also a notable part of her content; there are certainly plenty of “myths that need breaking” with respect to the performing arts, she believes. “People project so many insecurities onto others when it comes to opportunities, age and what is possible. I really always try to create content that my past self needed to see. I hope when people leave my page they feel a sense that anything is possible (because I really believe it is).”
Bellardini was also a competition kid, which led her to a performing arts high school and a draw toward the Ailey company – whose dancers she describes as “versatile, dynamic storytellers…super humans.” She ultimately was able to train at The Ailey School, as well as with Abraham.In.Motion, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and the Limón Dance Company.
Out into the dance sector wild after graduation, she’s performed with various companies from Jennifer Muller/The Works to Owen/Cox Dance Group to Parsons Dance to HopeBoykinDance – and, as huge milestones for her personally, Ailey II and ultimately the main Ailey company. She’s also assisted choreographers such as Renee Robinson and Frederick Earl Mosley, thus adding leadership skills to her toolbelt.
Also more recently in that toolbelt is her unique content creation, which she describes “as taking dances ranging from classical ballet variations, musicals, movies, music videos, current trending dances, sounds, et cetera and translating that into the Horton technique.” Her pieces make Horton out of inspirations ranging from Swan Lake to Thriller to Sabrina Carpenter hit singles.
Why Horton? Bellardini recounts falling in love with the form the first time she took it, in a class at The Ailey School. “Horton has such clarity, precision and grounded power. I love the dynamics, physicality, and the challenge of it,” she shares. “It’s thrilling to dance and exciting to watch. It also creates a solid strong foundation to carry you into any dance style. It is the full package!”
Social media allows her to share the technique in a creative and broadly accessible way, she says. “I have tapped into a community who loves modern dance, and even people who are new to it and curious about it! Modern dance deserves more recognition.”
How it’s going: Process, product and impact
When it comes to content creation, part of Ness’ aim is to support other artists from her own perspective and experiences. She realized that she’s someone who “needs to see others succeed to feel like [certain] opportunities are possible.” She tries to be that for other artists when she can. “I was inspired by so many different people on my journey who helped me dream big. And I hope that my story can also be a light of sorts for others on their journey.”
When she decided that she wanted to really make something of her social media platforms, the big challenge would be finding her own “voice…nobody receives long-term success on any platform (or really in anything in life) by being a version of someone else,” she affirms. “Being authentic is the secret, and I think it’s getting harder and harder to stand out as more and more people create content.”
That’s hard to “learn”, Ness says, yet it does help to be in her 30s and truly owning who she is, without apology – which she couldn’t have done when she was younger. “Everyone’s experience is different, and it’s still an ongoing practice for me, but content helps me to hone in on my authenticity.”
She’s learning to speak to the camera like she’d speak to a friend, she says, as well playing around with different editing styles, songs, and trends that feel authentic to her. She’s certainly inspired by other creators, but reshapes the inspiration to feel aligned with who she is.
Part of that alignment includes positivity. “In general in life, I try to find silver linings as much as possible, because it’s a lighter way to live.” She believes the harder that is to do, the more important it is to try. “Everyone experiences hardships, especially in a performing career, but I really believe that all the hard moments make us more resilient, and teach us lessons that turn us into better performers and better people.”
Her philosophy: the performing arts industry is hard, “but we don’t have to make it harder than it is by solely focusing on the bad. If you look for the light you will find it.” Comedy, both laughing at herself and making others laugh, helps for her, to “release tension and enjoy the process.”
That approach is paying off – such as performers she looks up to (including Kristen Chenoweth, Viola Davis, Julianne Hough, Dick Van Dyke) engaging with her content, collaborating with English National Ballet and working with industry auditions for the “West End Wednesday” workshop.
Her favorite part, however, is hearing that she inspired artists to go to that audition, feel more hopeful about living out their dreams, and overcome limiting beliefs. That’s why she started making content in the first place, she says. “Those are the moments that make me feel like I’m really doing something right. I’m so grateful to be helping people on the path with me or following closely behind.”
As for Bellardini: “believe it or not, at the start of this, the thought of taking a ballet variation and making it Horton came to me as a shower thought!” Her ongoing approach is really just inspiration from the world around her. From there, “I just run with it!” she says – letting things organically happen, whether that’s planned or more on a whim. “I honestly have endless ideas, and I can’t wait to continue exploring it all!”
Through all of that, Bellardini is bringing a classical modern dance form into something much more contemporary: algorithmic social media platforms. Yet, that’s a general shift she’s seeing in the online dance space; “it’s been great to see classical dance be in the conversation more and more.”
She sees the world as “constantly evolving”, and we can thus shape things as we fit, such as spotlighting classic dance forms in a way that aligns with moving into the future. That’s “creating something new and fresh, while honoring what came before,” Bellardini believes.
Her own way of doing that has introduced people to Horton. “That’s inspiring to me, and I love being able to share my passion…the connection that has been created with the dance community has been so special to me,” she says. Positivity is a general value guiding her, and she is “happy to create a space on the internet that can bring people joy or a laugh through their daily scroll.”
Where it could go from here: Bigger, longer, into new horizons
Ness is really trying to live in the moment and enjoy the feeling of stability she’s attained now, feeling settled in London with a long-term contract and having time to really take care of herself. But when it comes to her content work, she hopes to grow her following and gain more of a handle on the business part of it all.
“I’ve grown this account in the hopes of making people laugh, or helping them feel inspired, but I would love to also learn how to turn it into a proper business so that the next time I am between work I have another source of income I can rely on,” she explains. Long-form content for YouTube, a whole other skill set, is something she also wants to keep working on.
In terms of her performing life, she’s taking singing lessons and honing her acting so that the next time she’s on the audition scene, she’ll “feel like a stronger triple threat.” She’s also working on her Global Talent Visa, which will allow her to stay in London to work as a performer.
“I’m very grateful to have the chance to share my story and connect with so many people. My message will always be the same, dream big and have fun on the way! As performers we are always striving for the next goal, and I think that is wonderful, because it means we are always growing. Our confidence builds as we accomplish the things we set out to do, and achieve goals beyond our wildest imaginations. But also remember that life is still worth celebrating while you’re on your way to where you want to be,” she affirms.
Bellardini would also love to grow her videos to bigger scale: such as longer, more cinematic videos, collaborating with other artists, and perhaps even performing live (she’s already received requests). She’s even had ideas of creating a one-woman show from her choreographic approach. “The sky is the limit, and I am just excited to see where my creativity can take me!” We’re excited to see that too, for both artists. To the sky!
Follow Laura June Ness at @laura.june.ness, and Tara Bellardini at @tarabellardini at @tbellardini, on Instagram.
By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.
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